Electromagnetic air contactor



P 3, 1963 E. CHRISTELER 3,102,935

ELECTROMAGNETIC AIR CONTACTOR I 7 Filed Sept. 21, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N we /v 750/? ERA s7 (Aw/$75419? P 3, 1963 E. CHRISTELER ELECTROMAGNETIC AIR CONTACTOR Filed Sept. 21, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 J 2 hull IL \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\i Fig. 5

Sept. .3, 1963. E. CHRISTELER 3,102,935

ELECTROMAGNETIC AIR CCNTACTOR Filed Sept. 21, 1960 5 Sheets-She s; s

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ATTO RNEYS United States Patent O 3,102,935 ELECTROMAGNETIC AIR CONTACTOR Ernst Christeler, Zurich, Switzerland, assignor to Oerlikon Engineering Company, Zurich, Switzerland, a corporation of Switzerland Filed Sept. 21, 1960, Ser. No. 57,441 Claims priority, application Switzerland Sept. 25, 1959 Claims. (Cl. 200-404) This invention relates to an electromagnetic air contactor.

In low-voltage air contactors with electromagnetically operated contacts the fixed contacts and the associated terminals are generally mounted on a common baseplate, whereas the movable contacts are resiliently mounted on a contact bridge member. Frequently, the threaded-con"- nections for the cables are fitted directly to the fixed contact member. One of the disadvantages of these conventional forms of construction is that the replacement of the contacts must always be performed in the direct neighbourhood of live members, and that, more particularly, screw connections must be undone for removing the fixed contacts. Furthermore, in the greater number of cases, visibility and accessibility of the parts that must be replaced are not good. Finally, when connecting the cables, the parting walls of the compartments are an obstruction and important members and thus liable to be damaged.

The present invention aims at obviating the foregoing drawbacks.

To this end, according to the invention, both movable and fixed contacts are arranged to be detachable without the need of undoing screw connections.

In order to enable the invention to be more readily understood, reference is made to the'accompanying drawings which illustrate diagrammatically and by way of example, various embodiments thereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is atransverse section of an upper portion of a contactor member constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse section of the lower portion of the contactor member;

FIG. 3 is an elevation of the upper portion;

FIG. 4 is an elevation of the lower portion;

FIG. 5 is an elevation of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a transverse section through the embodiment indicated in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a transverse section of still another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a transverse section of the embodiment indicated in FIGS. 1 to 4 with the upper and lower sections shown together and with the movable contact in a non-contacting position;

I FIG. 9 is a side elevation of the invention as indicated in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a somewhat perspective view of the top portion of the member;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of one of the contacts; and

FIG. 12 is a perspective view indicating the contact positions in the member.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 1, the reference numeral 1 denotes the parting walls of a contactor compartment, 2 is a cross member between the parting walls and 3 is a contact bar which through a spring 4 applies pressure to a contact bridge member 5 carrying contact blocks 6. The bridge members can be readily removed from the bar by withdrawing them laterally. A bayonet joint which is not shown holds the fixed contacts 7 which are loaded by a spring 8 bearing on a cross member 9.

The plunger 10 of the magnet is connected with contact bar 3. The upper part 1 of the contactor therefore contains the movable as Well as the fixed contacts.

FIGURE 2 shows the lower portion II of the contactor which substantially comprises coil 11, the associated body of magnet 12 and terminals 13.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation, seen indirection A in FIGURE 1, and FIGURE 4 is a corresponding view of FIGURE 2. Like parts in the several drawings are indicated by the same reference numerals. When assembling the contactor retaining springs 14 on part II snap over flanges 15 on part I. For replacing the fixed and movable contacts the detachable portion I can be readily removed and for further attention taken to a place where the light is good.

FIGURE 5 shows the magnet which according to FIG- URE 6 can be removed by deflecting leaf spring 16. In this form of construction the connections of the contactors are especially easy to make because the terminals are completely free and accessible, and functionally important parts cannot be damaged. The connections to the coil of the detachable magnet may be embodied in springs which automatically release when the magnet is removed.

FIGURE 7 is a contactor according to the invention in contact-making position. Springs 17 can be seen which on release serve for lifting contact bar 3.

Finally FIGURES 8 and 9 show an assembled contactor in non-contacting position.

A feature of the construction isthat the contacts 7 which are referred to as fixed contacts are slidablein a bore defined in cross member 9. The bore in the member 9 includes a groove 9a (FIG. 8) to accommodate a projection 7a defined at the upper end of the contacts 7. The contacts 7 are inserted by placing the spring on the shoulder portion 7b and aligning the projection 7a with the groove 9a. Once the spring is. compressed slightly, the projection 7a is displaced out of the groove so that it is retained in association with the member 9.

The contacts 7 are therefore fixed once they have been positioned on the member 9 and cannot be displaced downwardly due to the projection 7a. They may be displaced upwardly to compress the spring 8 and permit realignment of the projection 7a with the groove 9a for removal purposes. Referring to FIGS. 8 and 10 to 12, it can be seen that the bayonet type of connection between the fixed contact 7 and the member 9 is provided. Grooves 9a, 9a extend upwardly along the entire length of the member 9. The contact 7 includes projections 7a, 7a which are aligned with the grooves 9a, 9a to permit insertion of the contacts. After the member 7 is inserted and the spring '8 is compressed, the member is rotated to bring the projections 7a, 7a out of alignment with the grooves 9a, 9a into alignment with diametrically opposite respective locking grooves 912, 9b.

What I claim is:

1. An electromagnetic air contactor comprising first and second severable main portions, said first main portion including a contactor compartment including a portion with a bore defined therein, a first contact member slidable in said bore, first means biasing said first contact in a first direction, a movable second contact bar displaceably guided in said contact compartment, second means biasing said movable contact in a second direction opposite to said first direction toward engagement with said first contact, said second main portion having a connection contact with at least one terminal post disposed to be electrically connected to said first contact upon mating engagement of said first and second severable main portions, and electromagnetic plunger and coil means carried by said first and second severable main portions including a plunger displaceable along a path intercepting said second contact means to move the latter against said 'an opposite direction to permit electrical contacting engagement of said first and second contacts, wherein said electromagnetic solenoid means includes a plunger slidably carried by said first main portion and a solenoid carried by said second main portion.

2. An electromagnetic air contactor comprising first and second severable main portions, said first main portion including a contactor compartment including a portion with a bore defined therein, a first contact member slidable in said bore, first means biasing said first contact in a first direction, a movable second contact bar displaceably guided in said contactor compartment, second means biasing said movable contact in a second direction opposite to said first direction toward engagement with said first contact, said second main portion having a connection contact with at least one terminal post disposed to be electrically connected to said first contact upon matingengagement of said first and second severable main portions, and electromagnetic plunger and coil means oarriedby said first and second severable main portions including a plunger displaceable along a path intercepting said second contact means to move the latter against said second biasing means for disconnecting said first and second contacts, said plunger being displaceable in an opposite direction to permit electrical contacting engagement of said first and second contacts, including clamp.- ing means on one of said portions engageable with the other of said portions to hold said first and second severable main portions together.

v 3. An electromagnetic air contactor according to claim 2, wherein said second main portion includes upwardly extending arm members having book ends and an abutment on said first main portion engageable by the hook ends of said arms of said second main portion.

4. An electromagnetic aircontact comprising first and I second severable main portions, said first main portion ina 4 said bore, first means biasing said first contact in afirst direction, a movable second contact bar displaceably guided in said contactor compartment, second means'biasing said movable contact in a second directionopposite to said first direction toward engagement with said first contact, said second main portion having a connection contact with at least one terminal post disposed to be electrically connected to said first contact upon mating engagement of said first and second severable main portions, and electromagnetic plunger and coil means carried by said first and second severable main portions including a plunger displaceable along a path intercepting said second contact means to move the latter against said,

second biasing means for disconnecting said first and second contacts, saidplunger being displaceable in an opposite direction to permit electrical contacting engage- V ment of said first and second contacts, said first main por tion contactor compartment including a portion having a grooved bore defined therein, said first contact including a member slidable in said bore with a circumferentially projecting portion slidable in said groove, said memher being displaceable to present the projecting portion References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS- 2,064,632 Schmitt Dec. 15, 1936 2,087,895 Bierenfeld July 27, 1937 2,172,633 Wilms Sept. 12, 1939 2,855,548 White Oct. 7, 1958 2,859,302 Schleicher Nov. 4, 1958 2,896,045 Brunicardi July 21, 1959 Mitchell et a1. Mar. 6, 

1. AN ELECTROMAGNETIC AIR CONTACTOR COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND SEVERABLE MAIN PORTIONS, SAID FIRST MAIN PORTION INCLUDING A CONTACTOR COMPARTMENT INCLUDING A PORTION WITH A BORE DEFINED THEREIN, A FIRST CONTACT MEMBER SLIDABLE IN SAID BORE, FIRST MEANS BIASING SAID FIRST CONTACT IN A FIRST DIRECTION, A MOVABLE SECOND CONTACT BAR DISPLACEABLY GUIDED IN SAID CONTACT COMPARTMENT, SECOND MEANS BIASING SAID MOVABLE CONTACT IN A SECOND DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO SAID FIRST DIRECTION TOWARD ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIRST CONTACT, SAID SECOND MAIN PORTION HAVING A CONNECTION CONTACT WITH AT LEAST ONE TERMINAL POST DISPOSED TO BE ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST CONTACT UPON MATING ENGAGEMENT OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND SEVERABLE MAIN PORTIONS, AND ELECTROMAGNETIC PLUNGER AND COIL MEANS CARRIED BY SAID FIRST AND SECOND SEVERABLE MAIN PORTIONS INCLUDING A PLUNGER DISPLACEABLE ALONG A PATH INTERCEPTING SAID SECOND CONTACT MEANS TO MOVE THE LATTER AGAINST SAID SECOND BIASING MEANS FOR DISCONNECTING SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONTACTS, AND SAID PLUNGER BEING DISPLACEABLE IN AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO PERMIT ELECTRICAL CONTACTING ENGAGEMENT OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONTACTS, WHEREIN SAID ELECTROMAGNETIC SOLENOID MEANS INCLUDES A PLUNGER SLIDABLY CARRIED BY SAID FIRST MAIN PORTION AND A SOLENOID CARRIED BY SAID SECOND MAIN PORTION. 